why does ice build up on my air conditioner

The major causePof ice build up on an air conditioner is restricted air flow. Without the proper air flow being able to flow over the evaporator coil, the temperature will easily drop below freezing and ice will begin to accumulate both inside and outside. Most people only notice their outside unit being frozen but chances are if you our outside unit is a block of ice then so is the evaporator coil that sits on top of your furnace out of view. by making your indoor coil extremely cold as warm air blows over it. The best way to prevent ice build up on your air conditioner is by regularly changing your filter and keeping it clean. If your furnace filter is clean, there is a chance that your evaporator coil may be clogged with dirt, hair ect. If you have never had this cleaned in the past, it may be time. Other items that can cause your air conditioner to freeze:БWhy is Ice Forming on My Inside Air Conditioning Unit?

Б [FAQ] YouБre concerned. Your central AC isnБt cooling your home very well. So you go to check the inside unit and, lo and behold, your central ACБs inside unit is frosted over! (Which you probably find strange considering itБs summer) What could be the problem? There are 2 main issues causing this. Reduced airflow to the inside unit will cause the refrigerant coil to freeze up. First, weБll tell you what usually causes reduced air flow to the inside unit and then explain the science behind why reduced airflow would cause the unit to freeze up. Б A dirty air filter blocks air from returning to the inside unit. Unblock return grills Б Move curtains or furniture blocking return vents that block air from returning to the inside unit. Open closed supply vents in unused rooms Б Closing supply vents in unused rooms does not save you money. It causes several problems instead, like a frozen inside unit.

Have a professional look at the blower Б The coil will freeze if the blowerБs motor malfunctions in the inside unit and isnБt pulling in enough air. Have a professional clean the evaporator coil Б Dirt insulates coils from heat, meaning that they canБt absorb heat from the air being pulled over it by the blower motor. OK so those are some Бto-dosБ. But why do you need to do them? HereБs why restricted airflow causes the coils to freeze up. The evaporator coil (tubes forming the A-shaped part of the inside unit) has cold refrigerant flowing through it. A blower pulls in air from your home and over that coil, cooling the air. But when thereБs little to no air flowing over the cold evaporator coil, it quickly frosts over because thereБs less heat to absorb. When itБs frosted over, air canБt easily flow through the coils (itБs a solid block of ice now), reducing airflow to your home.

HereБs an illustration : Imagine you have a cup of water and every hour you add 5 ice cubes into it. You also have a hair dryer blowing hot air over the cup. Obviously, the ice would melt after you add ice into the cup. Now imagine that you put something in between the hair dryer and the cup while youБre still adding ice to the cup. Because thereБs something blocking airflow to the cup, the ice isnБt melting. This would continue until the cup is completely full of ice. ThatБs basically whatБs happened to the inside unit. Follow our instructions from before to make sure thereБs enough airflow going over the coils. This is the most common cause of a frozen evaporator coil. When your AC system is low on refrigerant, pressure drops causing the evaporator coil to get abnormally cold. So when returning air hits the coil, humidity/moisture from the air beads ups on the coil and quickly freezes.

This continues until the evaporator coil is frozen. If youБre low on refrigerant you also have a refrigerant leak. That means youБll need a professional to find the leak and fix it before adding more refrigerant. Worst-case scenario : The leak canБt be fixed and one of the refrigerant coils needs replacing. This is an expensive replacement. So if your AC is 15+ years old,. Turn off your air conditioner. Let the AC defrost. Open all the closed supply vents your home. Ensure no furniture or drapes are blocking the return vents. If the filter was not dirty and there were no problems with the supply or return vents, you most likely need to call a professional for help. If you live in the Framingham-area, contact Nicholson Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning to. For our 24/7 emergency service, call us at 508-858-5476.